Ex Derry deputy mayor convicted of sex abuse of young girl

The offences spanned a timeframe when the victim was between 7 and 14.

Jim McKeever, pictured in 2016

A former deputy mayor of Derry was remanded into custody today after being convicted of historical sex abuse against a young girl.

Despite his protestations of innocence, James McKeever - suspended from the Social Democratic and Labour Party when the sexual allegations became known - was found guilty of eight offences.

The 63-year-old, from Tamneyreagh Park in Eglinton, stood trial at Belfast Crown Court on seven counts of indecently assaulting a young girl and two counts of gross indecency with or towards a child.

The offences span from August 1981 to December 1988 when she was between 7 and 14.

The former councillor, who, with his wife, fostered around fifty children, denied all the charges.

Following a week-long trial, after deliberating for just under six hours, the jury of six men and six women returned unanimous guilty verdicts on six indecent assault charges and found him not guilty of a seventh.

McKeever was also convicted on two charges of gross indecency - one unanimously and the other by a majority of 10-to-two.

The complainant, now forty-seven, contacted the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2018 and told them she had been abused as a child by McKeever.

She told police that the abuse occurred in several houses around Derry in the 1980s.

The woman also recalled an incident of abuse at Desmond’s Factory where McKeever used to rent an office and another while in a car when she was a child.

In her evidence, the woman said she had “bottled up” the abuse she suffered as a child for years.

She also said that at the time, due partly to McKeever’s standing in the community and his charity work, she felt unable to tell an adult what was happening.

The woman said she did tell a friend in the late 1990s about what McKeever had done, with the friend urging her to contact the authorities.

In 2018 she confessed to her mother about the childhood abuse, and a brief time later, she contacted the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

When McKeever was arrested and interviewed about the allegations made by the woman, he completely denied her claims and said he had not displayed any improper behaviour towards her.

He kept this stance throughout the trial, with his defence informing the jury that he came before the court with no criminal convictions and a record of fostering scores of children.

The jury did not believe McKeever’s claims of innocence and convicted him on eight of the nine charges he faced.

Following the verdict, Judge Donna McColgan QC addressed the jury and said: “Thank you for the time and attention you have given this case.”

McKeever’s barrister spoke of his client’s “hitherto good character” and asked for McKeever to be granted bail ahead of sentencing.

This request was rejected by Judge McColgan, who said that as a jury had convicted McKeever of sexual offences against a child, “he will be remanded in custody until sentencing.”

McKeever was told he would be sentenced to historical sexual abuse in September.

He was then led from the dock and into custody in handcuffs by prison staff; the woman he abused as a child stood yards from him in the public gallery.

Following the verdict, the victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, released a brief statement.

She said: “Nothing is going to erase what that man did to me, but today justice has been served. If anybody has been in the same situation, I would ask them to come forward to the police and speak out.”

The Police Service Northern Ireland also issued a statement.

Detective Constable Ruth Phelan said: “This has been a very traumatic ordeal for the victim, and I commend her for bravely coming forward to report to us. I hope that her strength and confidence in the police to conduct a thorough investigation encourages other victims of child abuse who have felt silenced, to come forward too.

“We have a team of committed detectives determined to bring anyone involved in child abuse before the courts to answer for their crimes, no matter when they occurred.

“I would continue to encourage anyone who has experienced sexual abuse to contact police on 101 or, in an emergency, call 999. Once you have made a report, you do not have to enter a police station; detectives can arrange to meet you at a time and place that best suits you.”